Broncos & NFL

CBS quick to grab Tony Gonzalez, release Dan Marino

Ex-tight end Tony Gonzalez caught on with "The NFL Today" on CBS. (David Goldman, The Associated Press)

The question is out there: Will Tony Gonzalez find as much success in the broadcasting studio as he did on the football field?

CBS obviously thinks so, signing the future Hall of Fame tight end to a long-term "multiple-contract sports platform," highlighted by a high- profile role on "The NFL Today" beginning with the 2014 season.

To make room for Gonzalez, CBS dumped Shannon Shape and Dan Marino (a curious decision) from the Sunday lineup. Another NFL analyst, to join Bill Cowher and Boomer Esiason and the show's host, James Brown, will be announced soon.

CBS Sports president Sean McManus announced the hiring of Gonzalez in predictable, glowing terms. "Having just stepped off the football field," McManus said, "Tony brings a fresh and insightful perspective. ... We are excited for him to share his knowledge, experiences and opinions with our viewers."

And in a typical corporate statement, McManus acknowledged the work of Sharpe and Marino, noting "they have contributed greatly to the success of 'The NFL Today' for more than a decade."

Actually, the dumping of Sharpe and Marino and the hiring of Gon- zalez are tied to a familiar theme: a television ratings battle.

Also, the addition of Gonzalez won't change the fact that Fox has the decided advantage of being the "home network" for NFC teams.

The five most-populated TV markets in the NFL — New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas and San Francisco — have NFC teams, thus giving Fox a Sunday audience jump-start. Eight of the top-10 TV markets in the NFL are "Fox cities."

The changes made by CBS evidently were in the works before Gonzalez officially announced his retirement as a player in December.

Marino's strong presence and agile quarterback mind added thoughtful commentary to the show, more so than has been offered by Esiason.

Look for CBS to have a major promotional campaign to launch the national broadcasting career of the well-spoken Gonzalez, who broke into the TV business while he was playing for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1997-2008. He was the host of the "Chiefs Locker Room" series.

Gonzalez, who played for the Atlanta Falcons from 2009-13, also will be featured on Showtime cable's "Inside the NFL" and will appear on cable's CBS Sports Network.

Star of Sochi. Speaking of talented athletes moving into TV work, it will be interesting to see how soon 18-year-old alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin blossoms on the nation's screens as a winning personality.

Her Olympic title in the slalom and her smiling, enthusiastic after-victory style made the Eagle-Vail athlete a winner away from the slopes too.

Longtime local journalist Dusty Saunders writes about sports media every Monday in The Denver Post. Contact him at tvtime@comcast.net.

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ESPN broadcaster Mike Tirico and his crew did a professional job while trying to drum up enthusiasm for a game that was no contest from the start.

A year ago, the Nuggets were considered a hot national TV property on ESPN and TNT.

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